Office and building directory



(No Medal.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 J. A. BROWN. OFFICE AND BUILDING BIREOTORY.

No. 596,959. Patented Jan. '4, 1898.

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J. A. BROWN. OFFICE AND BUILDING DIRECTORY.

No. 596,959. Patented Jan. 4,1898.

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UNITED STATES rrrcn.

ATENT OFFICE AND BUILDING DIRECTORY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,959, dated January 4, 1898.

Application filed May 14:, 1897. Serial No. 636,576. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that l, JAROME AUGUSTUS BROWN, of Portsmouth, in the county of Scioto and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Office-Directories; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to ofiice and building directories or indicators; and the object in view is to provide a combination indicator, directory, and cabinet containing a plurality of compartments, each having a folding dropfront provided with an observation-opening covered by a glass panel adapted to receive the name of any person, the drop-front also embodying a slate which is carried thereby and moved into position for convenient reference or writing. Each drop-front is also provided with a lock whereby the door which forms a part of the drop-front may be opened for giving access to the respective compartment closed by said door.

The detailed objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the ensuing description.

The invention consists in certain novel features and details of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter particularly set forth, illustrated. in the drawings, and incor porated in the claims hereto appended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of an office indicator, directory, and cabinet constructed in accord ance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section through the same. Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal section taken adjacent to the locked end of one of the doors. Fig. 4. is a detail perspectiveview of one of the dropfronts.

Similar numerals of reference designate cor responding parts in thesevera-l views.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a suitable box or casing in which is arranged a vertical series of horizontal partitions dividing the cabinet into compartments. In the drawings I have shown only one vertical row or series of compartments, but it will be understood that this number may be increased or diminished at will without departing from the principle of the invention, and, in fact, it is desirable to provide single vertical rows of compartments, so that a cabinet of any given size may be added to, or, in other words, additional rows may be applied to the cabinet so as to increase the capacity thereof.

A simple cabinet containing only a single row of compartments is seen to comprise the sides 2, with the ornamental top 3 and base 4 of any desired construction. The cabinet also comprises a closed back 5 and a series of horizontal shelves or partitions 6. At the front of each compartmentis arranged a dropfront '7, which is provided at its ends with outwardly-extending lugs 8, arranged opposite stationary lugs 9 on the sides 2 of the cabinet, said lugs being provided with trans- Versely-alined openings to receive hinge-pins 10. These hinges are located at the bottom edge of the drop-front and the lugs 8 are extended, as indicated at 8, so that when the drop-front is turned downward through onequarter of a circle the stops 8 will come in contact with the front of the cabinet and prevent the further downward movement of the front, thus preventing access from being obtained to this compartment, as will hereinafter appear.

Near the top edge of the drop-front 7 and at one end thereof is a button or handle 11 for facilitating the opening of the drop-front. The front 7 is provided with a rectangular opening 12, which is closed by a door 13, hinged, as indicated at 14, at its bottom edge to the drop-front. This door is provided with a rectangular aperture 15, in which is placed a transparent panel 16, adapted to have impressed or printed thereon the name of a person or firm, together with the business and location of such person or firm as regards the floor and room of the building, or any other desired information. At its free or swinging end the door is provided with a longitudinal recess 17, forming a slot through which letters may be passed into the compartment when the door is closed. The door 13 is provided upon its inner side and near one end with a lock 18, the bolt 19 of which is adapted to pass behind a shoulder 20, consisting of the end portion of the drop-front, and the Arranged inside of the drop-front is an oblique or inclined frame 22, carrying a slate 23. This frame is supported by substantially triangular-shaped end pieces 24:, which when the front is'closed are adapted to rest at their lower edges 25 against the floor of the compartment. By reason of this disposition of the slate 23 when the latter is folded inward its lower edge will rest sufficiently above the floor of the compartment to allow 1etters,&c., to slide beneath the same, and when the dropfront is moved outward the slate will be disposed at an angle of substantially forty-five degrees, in which position it is convenient for enabling a person to write a message or instructions thereon. At the same time when the drop-front is moved outward the inner edge of the slate-frame lies close to the front edge of the shelf or horizontal partition next above or forming the top of the compartment, so as to prevent the insertion of the fingers or hand into the compartment along the top thereof, while theend portions 24 of the dropfront prevent access at the ends of such front.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a very simple and effective combi nation directory and cabinet is provided,and that while letters, 650., may be readily inserted into any of the compartments and removed therefrom by a person provided with a key access cannot be gained to any of the compartments by unauthorized persons. It will also be seen that the slate not only provides for the leaving of messages, instructions, &c., but also forms a guard for preventing access to its respective compartment, and that when the drop-front is moved outward the slate is sustained in convenient position for writing, the stops 9 preventing the drop-front from swinging outward and downward too far.

It will of course be understood that the improved cabinet is susceptible of changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction, which may accordingly be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a cabinet, of a drop-front carrying a slate arranged to form a guard for preventing access to the cabinet when the drop-front is thrown outward, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a cabinet, of a drop -front having an inwardly -extending slate disposed obliquely and arranged to form a guard, substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination with a cabinet, of a drop-front hinged thereto at its bottom edge. a slate connected to the inner side thereof and extending at an angle thereto, a door in said front, and means for locking said door. substantially as described.

4. The combination with a cabinet, of a drop-front hinged at its lower edge, stops for limiting the outward and downward movement of said front, and a slate-frame connected to the upper edge and inner surface of said door and arranged obliquely, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a cabinet, of a drop-front hinged at its lower edge and having the hinge-lugs extended to form stops for limiting the outward and downward movement of the drop-front, and an obliquelydisposed slate-frame connected to the swinging edge of the drop-front and extending inward therefrom, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a cabinet, of a drop-front hinged at its lower edge thereto, means for limiting the outward and downward movement of said front, a door having a hinged connection with said front. means for locking said door and aslate-frame connected to the swinging edge of the drop front and extending inward obliquely therefrom, said slate-frame forming a guard for preventing access to the cabinet and the dropfront being provided with a letter-slot, substantially as described.

. In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAROME AUGUSTUS BROXVN.

Witnesses:

SAM G. HARPER, THEo. K. FUNK. 

